Chronic hypertension was induced in Wistar rats with intact kidneys by subcutaneous implantation of 50 mg of deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA) in wax and addition of sodium chloride (9 g/l) to the drinking water. 2. The development of DOCA/salt hypertension, as monitored by tail-cuff plethysmography, was prevented by: (a) destruction of the peripheral adrenergic nerves with neonatal administration of guanethidine (80 mg/kg subcutaneously for the first 14 days postnatally); (b) bilateral stellate ganglionectomy; (c) oral administration of the beta-adrenoreceptor antagonists propranolol or atenolol (1 mg day-1 kg-1) during the period of DOCA/salt treatment. 3. The dose of DOCA used was sufficient to inhibit the atrial Uptake2 pathway completely: this process appears to participate in termination of action of neurally released noradrenaline in the heart. 4. It is suggested that this model of DOCA/salt hypertension is due to adrenergic enhancement of cardiac output in the presence of an increased sodium load. The enhancement may be partly due to deficient myocardial inactivation of noradrenaline.
